William Lyttelton, 1st Baron Lyttelton
The Lord Lyttelton | |
---|---|
Governor of Jamaica | |
In office 1762–1766 | |
Preceded by | Henry Moore (acting) |
Succeeded by | Roger Hope Elletson |
26th Governor of South Carolina | |
In office June 1, 1756 – April 5, 1760 | |
Monarch | George II |
Preceded by | James Glen |
Succeeded by | Thomas Pownall |
Personal details | |
Born | 24 December 1724 |
Died | 14 September 1808 | (aged 83)
Spouse(s) | Martha Macartney Caroline Bristow |
Children | 5, including: George Lyttelton, 2nd Baron Lyttelton William Lyttelton, 3rd Baron Lyttelton |
Parent(s) | Sir Thomas Lyttelton, 4th Baronet Christian Temple |
William Henry Lyttelton, 1st Baron Lyttelton MP (24 December 1724 – 14 September 1808) was a British peer, politician, and colonial administrator from the Lyttelton family. He was the youngest son of Sir Thomas Lyttelton, 4th Baronet.
Biography
As the youngest son, he did not expect to inherit the family estates and served in various government appointments. He became governor of colonial South Carolina in 1755. As such he was a major factor in the eventual story of America's independence. His insistence on respecting the treaty rights of native peoples aggravated settlers on the frontier of South Carolina and led to a severe rift between those respecting the King's directives and those opposed.[citation needed]
The opposing factions eventually fought the civil war in South Carolina that was perhaps the key factor in America's independence. He was appointed Governor of Jamaica in 1760, but he was recalled after he lost a standoff with the Jamaican House of the Assembly, and its leader, Nicholas Bourke, over who should stand costs for the island's defence.[1] He was appointed envoy-extraordinary to Portugal in 1766. He was raised to the Irish peerage in 1776 as Baron Westcote.[2]
As a result of the death without issue of his nephew Thomas Lyttelton, 2nd Baron Lyttelton in 1779, he inherited the family baronetcy (see Lyttelton Baronets) and family estates in Frankley, Halesowen, and Hagley, including Hagley Hall. However, the estates in Upper Arley passed to the late lord's sister Lucy, wife of Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Mountnorris.[citation needed] In 1794, Lord Westcote was also created Baron Lyttelton in the Peerage of Great Britain. He married twice. His first wife was Martha, daughter and coheir of James Macartney of Longford, nephew and coheir of Ambrose Aungier, 2nd Earl of Longford. They had three children including George Fulke, his successor. His second wife was Caroline Bristow, daughter of John Bristow, MP and merchant, by whom he had two children including William Henry Lyttelton, 3rd Baron Lyttelton.
References
- Attig, Clarence John. "William Henry Lyttelton: A Study in Colonial Administration." PhD diss., University of Nebraska, 1958.
- Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. .
- Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages [self-published source] [better source needed]
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
- Burkes Peerage and Baronetage (1939), s.v. Cobham, Viscount
- Specific
- ^ Christer Petley, White Fury: A Jamaican Slaveholder and the Age of Revolution (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018), pp. 101–2.
- ^ "LYTTELTON, William Henry (1724–1808)". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Lord Lyttelton
- The William Henry Lyttelton papers William L. Clements Library.
- 1724 births
- 1808 deaths
- Barons in the Peerage of Great Britain
- Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies
- Streathamites
- Tory MPs (pre-1834)
- British MPs 1747–1754
- British MPs 1754–1761
- British MPs 1774–1780
- British MPs 1780–1784
- British MPs 1784–1790
- Colonial governors of South Carolina
- Diplomatic peers
- Governors of Jamaica
- Ambassadors of Great Britain to Portugal
- Barons in the Peerage of Ireland
- Peers of Great Britain created by George III
- Peers of Ireland created by George III
- Lyttelton family